The theme at Rio Tomatlán is color — the food, the decor, the drinks are all vivacious and bright. Rio Tomatlan may be located in the historic city of Canandaigua, but once you step inside, you’re transported south of the border.

Owner Juan “Rafael” Guevara took his mother Maria Peña Rodriguez’s lead when opening the restaurant seven years ago, following the success of her Sodus, Wayne County, location. The influences don’t stop there. Guevara regularly ventures to Mexico’s Pacific coast to Puerto Vallarta to gather recipes and techniques worthy of bringing home.

As you enter, you are greeted by dozens of tequila varieties lined up behind the bar. Connoisseurs will rejoice at the impressive roster. After being escorted to one of the worn-in booths made from vibrant teals and red, I knew that a cocktail made from the spirited agave would be on my agenda. I wanted to stray from the predictable margarita and was pleased by my choice of the matador. Made with tequila, pineapple vodka, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and a burst of bright red grenadine at the base, it was the perfect fruity but fierce start to our dinner.

For our bocadillo, or appetizers, we chose the ceviche and Quesadilla de Hongos. The ceviche was made with tilapia cooked via maceration in lime juice. A supremely spicy salsa called huitchol straight from Nayarit, Mexico, soaked into a crispy tostada base. Fresh cilantro, a lime wedge and chopped tomatoes elevated the freshness.

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The quesadilla resembled an empanada. Thick pastry made from corn flour was fried after being filled with mushrooms, poblano pepper, onions and Oaxaca cheese. The pastry pocket was substantial yet flaky, but sadly the filling got lost.

Rio Tomatlán offers numerous combination plates that are perfect when you want to indulge in multiple dishes. We ordered the fiesta variety along with the Durango.

The Durango arrived as one plate with two small burritos and two soft tacos. The meat was all tender and flavorful. My preferred filling was the chicken.

The fiesta’s name did not deceive. Arriving on three plates, it comprised sope, flauta, enchiladas and chile relleno. The chile relleno’s egg-white fried coating fell to the side of the roasted poblano pepper. A redeeming stringy and gooey Oaxaca cheese filling, along with a sweet tomato-based sauce seasoned with oregano, rounded out the dish.

Their wonderfully creamy and savory beans, tender shredded pork, fresh salsa, crisp lettuce and salty cotija cheese covered a corn cake to make up the sope. The cake was a bit thick and dry on its own but was the optimal vehicle for its toppings.

Our favorite entrée was enchiladas rojas. Soft corn tortillas were rolled with shredded chicken, aromatic onions and cilantro. I could have enjoyed every dish even more if it had been served with the deep red guajillo pepper sauce from the enchiladas. Like most of the dishes, vibrant purple cabbage, crema and cotija cheese embellished the plate.

For dessert, we followed our server’s recommendation and tried the tres leches (or three milks) cake. A square, airy cake was frosted with a creamy, subtly sweet topping. The cake’s texture reminded us of profiteroles. Shredded toasted coconut and peach slices conceptually brought us to a warmer location.

Even though the food was quite good, the service was dismissive. We were never told the night’s specials, there was no explanation or enthusiasm about our choices and I would have appreciated knowing what varieties and combinations were available.

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Rio Tomatlan’s ingredients are locally sourced if not imported from Mexico. The restaurant’s beans are from Cayuga, and the produce is from a garden they maintain at The Strong Home retirement community in Victor. The restaurant manages to weave original Mexican recipes and methods with our region’s array of local resources. For this reason, we’re fortunate to have Rio Tomatlán in our backyard whenever we crave Mexico’s culinary contributions.